


Hold on

by Subtle_Shenanigans



Category: Undertale
Genre: BossMonster!Sans, Gen, Papyrus named their group, Sequel to Let go, The Judge of The Underground, The Snowdin Foursome of Fantastic Friends, drabblet, grief?, happiness, increased HP
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-04
Updated: 2018-04-04
Packaged: 2019-04-18 12:22:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14213073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Subtle_Shenanigans/pseuds/Subtle_Shenanigans
Summary: Sequel to Let go.Sans deals with the complexities of his recent change.





	Hold on

**Author's Note:**

> Sequel to _Let go_.
> 
> Original note: Yes, Sans is bat-shipping his way through this when people of Snowdin ask why he looks so different. Better to keep the new Boss Monster status underwraps. And cone on guys; Asgore has gotta know what's up with his Judge, and that there's a new Boss Monster.

 

 

_Hold on_

* * *

It was definitely a change.

Now, it could have been possible to hide it all; fix up his mittens so the claws don't rip through, do the same with his slippers, maybe pull up the hood on his jacket so his eyes aren't as noticeable. It could have been easy.

Except now he was noticeably taller.

So they decided to try and come up with some reasonable excuse. And well, being a skeleton, it wasn't all  _that_ hard.

The thing is, Skeletons weren't a very well known species. They realized on Magic a lot more than other species, and didn't have the same physicality as others.

Most monsters had a basic cycle, too; Before (as in before being born, hatched, etc.), infant, toddler, child, teen, young adult, adult, elder. Typically the stages vary based on age-length - some monsters had long childhoods but short adulthood or vice versa. And, although puberty was one block of time, various growth spurts occurred throughout some species' lives.

So they decided, that if anyone asked, they'd say that skeletons went through a secondary growth spurt when they reach a certain age. After all, none knew of Sans and Papyrus' pasts or what they even knew of their own species. The fact that it had been a surprise to them wasn't, well, so surprising.

Luckily, the residents of Snowdin took it in stride, very few asking questions. Sans still decided to keep his hood up for the time being, as it softened his sharper features and teeth. His eyes glowed brightly beneath.

After a few days, and getting back into their normal routine, Sans casually mentioned at a movie night, "I'm gonna have to inform Asgore, y'know."

Both the girls just  _looked_ at him, uncomprehendingly.

"Does this have to do with your secret job?" Papyrus asked.

Sans diligently ignored Undyne's sputter of,  _"secret job?!"_

"Nah. About the whole, y'know," he tapped the center of his chest where his soul resided, "Boss Monster thing. He  _is_ the King, never mind a Boss Monster himself."

Alphys nodded. "Sounds like a good idea; do you want us to go with you?"

Sans had stood and began to stretch. "Nah; be back in a minute."

And then he gave a reckless grin, stepped backwards, and  _glitched_.

Papyrus was not happy to have to deal with the barrage of questions after that.

* * *

He appeared at the entrance of the Golden Hallway. He'd never been able to shortcut into it - only to the beginning or end. He shrugged to himself and walked down it, the magic settling as his title; Judge of The Underground.

He grinned, and, unlike at first, didn't drop it when he felt the shift of his sharp teeth.

He felt the warm light filtering through glass as he walked; the sharp cold as he reached the end and the wall cut that warmth off. It wasn't long before he popped through the hallway, completely devoid of light, and out through a gray hallway, leading to the King's Garden.

Asgore was there, par the course, crouched low and gently cupping petals in his great, white paws.

Sans was sure to shuffle his feet - his way of announcing his presence. Asgore made no move to turn, merely letting his voice rumble out gently, "Howdy Sans; beautiful day isn't it?"

A soft chuckle. "As always, your majesty. But, er, I didn't come for a casual visit."

"Hmm? Well, feel free to state your buissness Sans. You know I'm always willing to listen."

Sans scratched his skull, feeling the claws through the mitten despite the padding they put in it. "Uh, well. . ." he took the mitten off, looking at the clawed tips of his fingers as he stretched and then gently waggled them. He slipped it back on. "It's, sorta hard to explain? There was a- . . . an accident, I guess. But, um, I guess I'm a Boss Monster now?"

There was the faintest hint of a rush at the end of his words, but it was still the casual drawl he normally spoke in.

But it was that tiny difference in his speech, and the fact that it finally registered that Sans' voice sounded  _different_ , that got Asgore pausing slowly, and then shifting to stand and turn.

There was silence as Asgore Dreemurr's old, wise gaze drifted over him. Lingering on his face, and height. But it wasn't not a surprised or worried gaze he had expected; merely curious. Like he was more intrigued by the outcome of the change rather than the change itself.

Sans felt his breath hitch. ". . . do you. . . do you know why this happened, Asgore?"

A sigh. Then, "Let us sit, Sans."

He pat the ground beside him as he sat down on his knees.

Sans made his way over, plopping into a criss-cross seating. He looked at Asgore, still having to tilt his head to see him.

He was silent; he knew Asgore would speak when ready.

"I do not know who exactly would Pass down to you; not who could have fallen. Tori - my ex-wife, became a Boss Monster because her step-Uncle chose to pass down to her. My own parents were both Boss Monsters. So no, I do not remember exactly who."

Sans felt as well as saw Asgore's hesitance. "But. . . ?"

The King looked at him, great head tilting. "Perhaps you could answer that yourself, Sans."

Sans gave a hum, hand on his chin as he looked forward. "Mmm, you mean the old guy. The one missing from everyone's memories."

"Yes. What do you recall?"

Sans closed his eyesockets, and let his hand fall with a sigh. "Not much. I've got an old picture on my basement but I can't make out anyone's face too good, 'specially his. I know I knew him - worked with him. On what?" He pause to shrug, eyesockets lifting to a half-lidded, sleepy expression. "Who knows. I can't recall a name, but I knew he was close with me an' Pap. Know I miss 'im."

Asgore nodded slowly, horns tipping in Sans' peripheral. "Hmm, you recall about as much as I do, but differently. He worked for me - I'm assuming he was the previous Royal Scientist - and that I trusted him as an advisor and great friend. But beyond that - not a face, nor a name, or a memory containing him. It was taken away like cuts from a film."

"We're the only two who remember 'im, huh?"

There was a morose silence to follow. Sans looking into nothing, and Asgore eventually fiddling with some flowers beside him.

Finally the great King stood up, dusting off his clothes. "Well, times pass and memory fades; we all lose someone eventually. We should not be too concerned for now. And, this may even aid your job. Tell me, Sans - has your HP risen any?"

Sans took the offered paw, and was pulled up with a chuckle. " _Hff_ , you're right there, your majesty. Not much t' do now. Mm-hmm, stats doubled."

He saw the middle of emotions cross the King's features - both happy and pitiful in a strange duality - but he merely said, "Good for you Sans! I do hope you will not become restless because of it."

The skeleton chuckled. "Uh, 'course not. Y'know me - too much of a  _lazybones_  to get reckless about anything."

Asgore gave him a disbelieving look, but merely shooed him away, so he could get back to what he was doing.

Sans grinned, letting himself stumble and begin to  _fall_ -

-and then he glitched back.

* * *

And he realized as soon as he got back that he had already gone against Asgore's words beforehand, as his early,  _reckless_ , leave had resulted in a bombardment of questions from both Undyne and Alphys, as well as scolding from Papyrus.

But they did get around to watching their movie that night.

And he promised himself, that it was a memory to hold on to.


End file.
